12 months...ONE YEAR OLD?! (2.23.15)

O.M.G. ....

How did this happen?! My baby is now a toddler.. *sniff*.. ok he will always be my baby, but it is crazy how fast this year has flown by! He is such a little boy now!!!

We celebrated by taking him on a little overnight trip to UCLA and  we took lots of photos and walked down memory lane! It was a really special trip that I will never forget.. I know he will.. BUT we have many photos and videos to remind him one day :)

We also threw him a big Bruin Bear UCLA birthday bash! It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed decorating and planning for it over the past year. I think my favorite decorative  element was my 365 day photo wall where I actually had one photo every day of the whole year of him displayed! It was quite a project, but one I will always cherish. It's so neat to be able to see him grow and change so much day by day! What to do with all those photos now?! I decided to put them in an album so I can look back on them... I hope to be able to do the same thing for any future children if we are blessed to have more!

He is one lucky and very loved little guy.. it was so nice to see so many family and friends and to just enjoy good food and celebrate his milestone! We did do a cash smash.. but it was more of a calm low-kay eating of the frosting..

He is not walked yet.. but he has tried to take a step or 2 and then will plop down. He is such a fast crawler now though... and is cruising all around the couch and whatever other things he can climb up on! He is also babbling SO much now.. he has his own adorable language that I so wish I could understand.. it sounds like alien gibberish! He still says ma-ma and da-da.. DOE has been his new word.. whatever that means.. and he tries to say kitty and dog.. ALMOST! :)

He is eating more of what we eat now.. so that has been fun.. and I am weaning him from breastmilk so he has been enjoying whole organic milk over the past week. He LOVED menchies.. my favorite frozen yogurt chain.. and of course loved the frosting on his cake.. but those were special bday treats... so it's back to eating healthy! He has been getting pickier tho.. he always wants what mommy is eating if I am having something different haha.. He also didn't mind a lemon slice we gave him at a restaurant!!! SOUR! Crazy lil guy!

We are still cloth diapering when at home and it has been going great! I'm really proud that I stuck with it for over a year now.

He is such a spunky lil guy.. he has been dancing and singing so much this past month. I never noticed him realllllly start to get into dancing until recently.. he will wiggle his little booty or shimmy his shoulders to the music. He bobs his head and just smiles and laughs...

He still is loving touch and feel books, bathtime, his little people toys (has to have one in each hand and carry them everywhere!), music, and animals!

I'm just so proud of everything he does. He has brought us so much joy and so many laughs.. We feel so lucky and blessed to have him. I can't say that enough.. with all my heart I just LOVE him!!!

Here are a few pics from his b-day celebrations!! :)

2:34AM -he was actually up on his exact bday! :)

Digging his new bday shirt!

UCLA

New Bday Bruin Hat!

Noah's First Bday Party! 3/1/15

Party Favors!

Our lil Family of 3!

Happy and on a sugar high after his bday cake!! (or frosting!)

365 day photo wall (part of it!)

Mommy and Noah

Cake Smash ROUND 2! :) He got the hang of it!

11 months! (1.23.15)

11 MONTHS!!

1/23/15

Happy New Year!

It is so hard to believe that Noah is 11 months old now.. only ONE more short month until he turns ONE! Ahhh!! My lil baby is growing up too too toooooo fast!! *tear*

This past month has been a BIG one for him! I feel like so much has changed.. he has really grown before our eyes and he is learning new things everyday!

He is pulling himself up on everything now.. and coasting along the side of the couch (always trying to get to the kitties! -which he understands... when I ask where are the kitties he looks all around the couch trying to spot one since they tend to sleep there the most!) He is almost standing on his own.. I caught him doing it for a few seconds a few times in his crib.. but he is still pretty wobbly!

He is also CRAWLING! Finally!!! No more scooting or dragging around.. this boy is a pro-crawler now! He also has gotten pretty fast.. and he wants to explore the whole house and get into all the trouble he can!

He is starting to respond to NO as well.. sometimes he will whine when I tell him NO.. because he's like but whyyyy moooom?! haha.. it's pretty cute..

He is also finally sleeping in his crib full time now.. naps and all! AND doing much much better.. He even had a 10.5 hour stretch once!.. Yes once.. but that was something! Usually he is up a few times throughout the night.. but its SO much better than before!

He also was chewing his crib.. so I had to tie his bumper around it to prevent that! He is a chewing machine! Teething and drooling! He got his second bottom tooth at the very end of December.. and that's it so far.. but he is always chewing on his fingers and toys so I am thinking more are not too far off!

He loves peek-a-boo.. and his touch and feel books.. and he's also loving cruising around in his walker! He has gotten good at maneuvering that thing and getting all around the house!

He has clapped a few times... and also said and waved Bye-Bye once when I was leaving to go to the dentist.. That's what daddy says anyway.. I missed it! But he tries to wave or clap if we show and help him!

He also started dancing!! It was the cutest funnies thing! He played his little scooter's music and started rocking out.. and wiggling back and forth.. I have some super cute videos I was lucky to capture.. so so cute!

I've been getting crafty and have been planning for his 1st Bday.. it's right around the corner.. I still can't believe it!

He had his first trip to the snow.. which was quick but fun! He was fascinated by it all!! Even didn't seem to mind touching the cold snow.. it was so new and exciting to him and he just kicked about with joy!

His first Christmas was also very special! We celebrated with family and he opened some presents and met SANTA!! He wasn't a fan of him yet.. but I'm sure that will change.. I thought it was the cutest classic first santa photo!

This month he has tried many new foods.. He loves kiwi and chicken.. watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, mango, and more! I now tear food up into small pieces and he enjoys trying to pick it up and eat it. We are still working on the sippy-cup! I'm still breastfeeding and plan to start weaning after his first birthday.. I was nervous about him getting teeth with breastfeeding but so far it hasn't been an issue at all.

He's such a sweet cutie pie.. he is pretty whinny when he doesn't sleep well or because of his teething.. but I can't blame him.. so am I :)

1st SNOW DAY!!!

10 Months! (12.23.14)

We are in double digit months! 10.. TEN! ahhh!!

He really is growing up so so fast now and really turning into this little person!

He has been trying to crawl.. he gets up on his knees and will rock and rock.. anyway now! He is also pulling himself into my lap.. all the tiiiiime! He is getting stronger and more and more stable every day.

He is saying mama a lot.. and also will say dada when daddy is around.

He has been enjoying green beans lately.. as long as they are mixed with a little applesauce. Puffs are a necessity. He is still really loving them! I don't know how we would survive without them if we are out to eat! They keep him very entertained and he gets most of them in his mouth :)

He had his first turkey day and tried the turkey daddy cooked..and liked it!! We hosted for the first time this year and it was so special to have all our family here. We are so so thankful this year for our little turkey!

His first tooth finally popped!!!!! on 12/15 :) FINALLY!! All that fussiness and drooling and chewing.. and finallllllly a tooth! It's his lower right.. (lower left if you are looking right at him).. it's barely there.. but coming in!

On 12/19 he got into a sitting position from laying down all on his own! He surprised me.. we were getting ready for bath time and I put him down on his back.. turned around to turn the water on.. and when I looked back at him he was sitting up! He has been sitting for awhile now.. just hadn't caught him making the transition til that moment!

We took another plane ride to visit the in-laws for christmas and he did really well! He is getting so long now that he can really kick the seat in front of us tho! While we were there he even met "Santa".. Great Uncle Tommy was amazing! Noah wasn't too sure of Santa.. but at least we got a classic photo on the lap!

He also went to his first professional soccer game and basketball game! He doesn't seem to mind the noise.. and actually seemed really amused watching all the people and excitement!

AND we went to the aquarium for the first time too! He loved that!!!!! Altho after about 30 minutes he was over it.. a lot of stimulation for a lil guy! :)

Sleeping still is so so.. but he did sleep one night for 8 hours in a row! He's still in our room.. we tried the crib and it was going alright, but our heater broke and it was too cold in his nursery so he came back in our room. It's fixed now tho!.. and after the 1st of the year we are going to put him back in his room tho.. hopefully that will help us all get a little more sleep!


So so so thankful for these past 10 months.. he is my everything!

9 Months! (11.23.14)

My lil guy is growing up SO SO FAST! Where has this year gone? 9 months has been so much fun! We now have a scooter on our hands! He is FAST! He scoots around all over the place! Still not full on crawling, but he gets around! 

He tried turkey on Thanksgiving and enjoyed it! I need to start introducing new foods!

He has his 9 month check up this week.. I need to be sure and update those stats!

He laughs and smiles all the time.. and is babbling mama and dada a lot! It's so cute… altho he usually whines mama when he wants something!

He is sitting up really well now too.. doesn't topple over like he did before.. at least not often! 

He also loves to give kisses and throw toys and spoons off the table. 

We just finally transitioned him into his crib.. we are on night 3 tonight! It has been a little rocky, but he's doing alright! Hopefully in time we can all sleep better this way! Altho I do miss having him right next to me!!! I cried in the shower the first night he was in his own room.. I missed him! :)

He also LOVES puffs.. you know.. those cheerio type baby snacks. He still doesn't have teeth so I have to break them up or else he will shove them all in his mouth. He also has been drinking a little water mixed with apple juice which he enjoys.. altho he doesn't get much out of the cup -he's learning!

I love his kisses and snuggles.. I will always cherish every second with this lil miracle!!

Getting ready for the holiday season ahead!

Happy 1st Thanksgiving sweet baby Noah!!

XOXO

8 Months! (10.23.14)

8 months old today!!

Time is flying by.. I can't believe 8 months ago I first held this lil pumpkin in my arms and became a mommy! It has been so amazing…

This past month he has officially started to sit on his own without assistance.. altho he will still topple over so it's nice to have pillows around to catch him! He is also getting stronger and is up on his arms on his tummy a lot more now. He used to always roll to his back when he played, but now he actually holds himself up on his elbows and will play that way! He scoots a little bit.. but mainly rolls to get around. He is a champion roller! No crawling yet.. but that's ok! He is getting close… sticking his lil bootay up and getting up on his knees bouncing about.. He is starting to figure it out!! Baby proofing here were come!!!

He has been babbling a lot.. ma-ma, da-da, na-na, etc! I love when he talks! He also "sings" when I sing "Shake it off" by Taylor swift and bounce him around he starts smiling and singing along haha.. it's so so cute.. 

He LOVES bouncing.. when I take him up or down the stairs he just lights up! He also LOVES his big stuffed bear animals.. he giggles and laughs with such delight when he sees them! He is still chewing on everything and drooling.. but no teeth!!

He's tried apple, pear, zucchini, and green beans.. and altho he isn't a green bean fan, I can mix them with anything sweet and he will eat them! He still LOVES to eat.. and eats a LOT!! 

He loves reading with Daddy every night.. he looks at all the pictures and grabs at the books.. 

He is on a 2 nap schedule.. and has been going to be around 7:30… much earlier than he originally was.. so that has been nice! Still up a few times throughout the night.. some nights better than others!

Overall he's a happy lil guy with some cranky bits! :-p

7 Months!! (9.23.14)

I can't believe he is growing SO fast.. I say this every month.. but it's TRUE! Where is the time going?!

I just was watching old videos of him and I can't believe how much he has changed in such a short period of time! He is such a blessing.. and I feel SO incredibly lucky to be his mommy!

OK! So this past month he has really grown! He had his 6 month check up and he is on track and things are all healthy and looking good. He can sit up now pretty well(still need to be there to support him in case he decides to topple over tho!) He is also rolling all over to get from one spot to the next. He will scoot sometimes.. but he prefers to roll! He LOVES sleeping on his side or tummy.. but would rather play on his back. He is really focusing on and examining his toys. Of course everything must go in the mouth! Still showing signs of teething... but the one tooth we saw is gone?! mystery! So no teeth yet.. but drooling and chewing A LOT!

He started solids!!!! He is such a good eater too.. It has been SO easy!

1st food: Butternut Squash -LOVE
2nd: Sweet Potato -LOVE
3rd: Avocado -HATE!!
4th: Carrots -LOVE
5th: Peas -LOOOOOOOOVE
5th: Banana -LOVE *altho a little unsure of the texture!

SO far SO GOOD!

It has been really fun making his baby food from scratch! I love watching his reaction to new foods.. he makes the cutest faces and noises! He gets very worked up and excited when it's time to eat!!!

He is full on babbling like craaaaaazy.. and also blowing raspberries and making farting noises haha.. It's so funny.. he has a lot to say! Mama baba nana! He is also laughing and smiling at silly faces and LOVES to be tickled.. he is SOOOO ticklish! It's adorable.. I can't get sick of that little laugh! It is sooo contagious!

Still sleeping the same.. up every 2-3 hours.. but he's on a 2 nap schedule.. with one later cat nap when we take our family walk. Some days he is such a good napper and other days he fights it! Babies are so inconsistent and unpredictable! :)

He is really growing WAY too fast.. It makes me excited and sad all at the same time! I love love LOVE this little cutie pie!

6 Months Old! 1/2 a year! 08.23.14

1/2 a year old! I can't believe how fast he is growing up!
I gotta say though, I am looooving this age.. he is so cute and fun!

The past month he has really mastered rolling all over the place! He will also scoot and roll to get around on the floor or to get to certain toys that he wants. He also will look at his binkie now.. grab it.. and successfully put it in his mouth! Sometimes he still puts it in backwards haha and he will chew away on it. Speaking of chewing.. he is teething like crazy! He had a tooth pop out a couple weeks ago, but now the gums are hiding it! I'm sure teeth will be coming in soon! He LOVES the frozen teething ring and will hold it himself.. it's too cute!

He loves when you say "boing" and hop his toys up and down and make them fly around..
I also distract him by singing a pretty snazzy version of the ABCs.. he will learn those quickly!
He is getting really good at standing and sitting up (with support of course!)
He loves jumping in his jumper and we all still go on a nightly walk to the park.. he loves watching our dog bella run around and do tricks.. sometimes he will start cracking up!

I've started FINALLY putting him on a stricter schedule.. We are trying the sleep eat play.. and so far so good! I have read his signals when it came to naps etc.. and we had a loose schedule, but now we are trying to really get more of a real schedule going in hopes that it will help him sleep better at night.

Yeeeahhhh still not sleeping through the night.. I used to feed him throughout the night whenever he wanted.. and now we are doing night feedings every 3+ hours. He has been fine with the change.. but he keeps rolling over and knocking out his binkie which wakes him up. It's so hard for him to get back down.. he gets himself all worked up! It's getting a little better each night, but not much sleep for me! I know that one day I will sleep again.. right? :-p It was so much worse.. he was up every hour for a few weeks.. Every 3 hours is much much better... we are getting there.. just takes time!

We also started SOLIDS! We started at exactly 6 months.. and made him butternut squash. We held up a squash and a sweet potato and let him pick. He reached for the squash.. decision made! It was SO easy to make baby food.. and I am so excited to make all different types! He was such a good lil eater too! He was reaching for the spoon and most all the food actually made it in his mouth hah. We are starting off small.. just once a day (2 table spoons) and we will up it from there!

OH and how could I forget??!!! He said MAMA! hah.. I don't think he knows what he is saying haha but I still love to hear it :) He also will babble na na.. those are his two favorites at the moment!